


The Auction

by VicesVsVirtues



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Aged Up, Established Reggie and Flynn relationship, F/M, Fake Dating, M/M, Set in London, alive, british au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:35:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27749098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VicesVsVirtues/pseuds/VicesVsVirtues
Summary: Reggie talks the boys of Sunset Curve into taking part in a charity Bachelor Auction for charity.Luke begs his friend to bid on him so he doesn't have to go on a date with a stranger.Feelings are caught.
Relationships: Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 172
Kudos: 436





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure if the rating will change later in the story, but if it needs to, I'll let y'all know.
> 
> I've set this in the UK, so am using UK colloquialisms and spellings. If I use something that you're not sure of, just let me know and I can either change it or explain.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it. It's supposed to be a bit of fun.

**Valentine’s Day Charity Bachelor Auction.**

Single men of London, we NEED you

Donate yourself and your time to help us raise money for charity

Be wined and dined in return

Contact: vdayauction@mail.com

:: ::

Luke paced around the rehearsal space he and his band, Sunset Curve, rented on a regular basis, waiting for Reggie and Bobby to show up. As always, they were both running late and he was getting impatient. He sat on a huge leather chair, his guitar on his hands, strumming idly as he watched the second hand on the clock continually tick.

“Sorry, traffic’s a bitch out there today.” Alex dropped his bag at his feet as he shrugged his jacket off and draped it over the back of the second chair. He looked around, “where’s Reg?”

“I’m here. I just nearly got run over by a bloody bus, but I’m okay.”

Luke and Alex stared at the third of their trio in absolute horror. It wasn’t unusual for him to suffer some sort of near death experience on a weekly basis, but this one was the worst so far.

“A bus, really Reg? Were you walking and texting again?” Alex asked, a stern tone to his voice.

“No,” the tone of his voice was indignant, “I learned after last time.” His cheeks turned red as he blushed as his friends stared at him, dumbfounded.

“Mate, we’re gonna have to get you a bubble wrap suit.” Luke rolled his eyes, trying not to laugh. “So, what had you distracted _this_ time?”

“Before I show you, hear me out.” Luke’s stomach dropped at the words. Nothing good ever came of that sentence. With a hard sigh, he and Alex indicated for Reggie to continue. May as well get it over with so they could get back to their rehearsals. “The band’s starting to pick up. People are posting about up online, and ticket sales for gigs are going well, right?”

“Where’s this going Reginald?” Alex rubbed at his face, clearly feeling the same apprehension Luke himself was.

“Well, we’re always trying to work out how we can get ourselves out there more, and I think I found a way to do that and make us look good at the same time.” With a flourish, he pulled a brightly coloured flyer from behind his back and handed it over to them. He nibbled on his thumbnail as they read it.

“What the fuck, no way.” Luke burst out. “There’s no way I’m doing this. It’s like… it’s… just no.” He looked to Alex for back up.

“I think it’s a great idea actually. It’s raising money for charity, which y’know, brownie points. But, we can use the platform to advertise the band, and who knows, we might even have a good time.”

“Being auctioned off like a slab of meat and being forced to go out on a date with someone we don’t know. I mean, _anyone_ could ‘buy us’ and expect… stuff.”

“My God, Luke. Chill. Ted fucking Bundy isn’t going to bid on you and drag you off into the woods. It’s a bit of fun to raise money for a children’s cancer charity. Lighten up.”

“Reg? Do you want to do this, really?” Luke asked, hoping the bassist had changed his mind in the last five minutes.

“I think I do… also…”

“Also? There’s an also?” Luke flopped back into the chair behind him, narrowly missing knocking his guitar over which caused him to glare at Reggie again.

“Uh… I kinda already promised the organiser we’d all do it.”

“You what?” Exploding back out of the chair, Luke stalked towards Reggie who backed away from him but with a look of defiance in his eyes.

“Yeah, this is Flynn’s baby. She’s organising it.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Luke began to pace, ignoring Alex’s pleas for him to calm down. “So, you’ve already told your girlfriend that the three of us are willing to prostitute ourselves to complete strangers for charity without asking us first?”

Without giving Reggie the change to respond, he left the studio and went outside. He needed some air.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly can't believe the love the first chapter got, and I honestly hope I can maintain the humour in this fic for you all. This chapter is a bit of a filler chapter before we get to the action of the auction. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it.

They were officially doing the charity bachelor auction. Luke couldn’t understand why Reggie was doing it considering he wasn’t an actual bachelor. He and Flynn had been together for almost ten years, ever since they’d met at university – well, Flynn was attending classes, Reggie was just getting hammered in the Student Union bar after they’d performed. They’d been ridiculously happy ever since.

Luke tried to get out of taking part, then felt like a complete dick because not only was it Flynn’s baby, but it was for charity. The very charity his best friend’s girlfriend worked for in their PR and fundraising department. It was her first big event, and Reggie made him feel about an inch tall when he’d attempted to weasel out of it.

So, not only was Luke being auctioned off as an eligible bachelor to spend a few hours with a complete stranger, Flynn was insisting he wore a damn tuxedo on the night. To placate him, Sunset Curve were performing a three song set before the auction itself.

“You can wear one of your ridiculous cut off shirts. In fact, I think it’ll get you more attention and you’ll be my biggest earner.” She’d cackled when he’d complained about the dress code. When he’d opened his mouth to complain, she’d merely smiled and patted him on the cheek. Yeah, there was no way he was getting out of it, and he _would_ wear the tux Flynn insisted on, without complaining about it.

In the week’s build up to the auction, Luke had been like a bear with a sore head about the entire thing. If he’d been able to make the decision himself to take part it would have been different, but because Reggie had signed the three of them up without asking had rubbed him up the wrong way.

“Will you stop fucking stomping around like you’re wearing cement boots.” Alex snapped at him as they arrived at the studio to rehearse the songs they’d be performing.

“Why should I?” even Luke could hear the whine in his voice but couldn’t seem to control it. He knew he was acting like a petulant child and quite frankly, couldn’t give a shit.

“Because we’re helping out a friend and a charity. Surely that’s reason enough to be a bit more gracious about it all.” Luke glared at his friend.

“Urgh, I hate it when you’re right.”

“I know you do, that’s why I try to be right more than you.” Alex blew him a kiss as Reggie and Flynn joined them.

:: ::

The night before the auction, Luke sat in the apartment he shared with Alex, who was on a late shift at work. Being a bar tender meant working late regularly, leaving Luke home alone, often strumming his guitar and working on lyrics, but it was different somehow that night. He couldn’t settle to anything thanks to the nerves. Luke rarely let his nerves bother him, using them to make him perform better at a gig, but the nerves weren’t about the show. How was he going to cope being paraded around a room of people who were expected to bid on him?

Finally giving up all pretense of trying to calm down, Luke left the apartment and went to see his neighbour.

“What are you doing here?” Julie asked him as she let him in. Julie Molina, Flynn’s best friend and one of Luke’s closest friends since Reggie and Flynn got together.

“I’m bored.” He flung himself onto Julie’s sofa and put his feet up on the coffee table, earning a slap to his vans.

“So, because you’re bored, I get the pleasure of your company?” her voice had a teasing tone to it. “Aren’t I lucky?”

Julie sat next to him and picked up the book she’d obviously discarded when he’d knocked on her door.

“What you reading?” he asked, disturbing the silence after a couple of minutes, earning a sigh to escape from Julie. Carefully marking her page with a bookmark, she closed the book, and put it down next to her.

“I _was_ trying to read a book I’ve been waiting six months for. But clearly that isn’t going to happen tonight. Why are you here, Luke?” He could tell she was irritated but knew her well enough that she wasn’t pissed off with him.

“I can’t stop thinking about this charity auction tomorrow night.”

“What about it? I think it’s great you and the guys are helping out.”

“That’s just it, I would have done it if I had been asked, but I wasn’t. Reggie just signed the three of us up.”

“Well, what’s the difference?”

Luke had no answer and felt like an idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on Tumblr [vicesvsvirtuesfanfic](https://vicesvsvirtuesfanfic.tumblr.com/)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The auction - part 1
> 
> I had hoped to get the whole thing done in one chapter, but nope.   
> I hope you enjoy it.

Due to the band performing before auction began, Flynn had decided that Reggie, Alex, and Luke would be the final three bachelors of the evening to allow them time to change from their stage clothes into the tuxedos she had picked out for them.

As the guests arrived, the three of them hid backstage, not wanting to look out of place in their ripped jeans and Luke’s cut off shirt. He might not have been completely happy with what he was due to face later, but there was no way Luke would ever want to ruin the night for Flynn. She needed the evening to go well, not only for herself, but for the charity she worked for.

“Oh my God, have you seen the amount of women out there?” Alex was peeking into the main room that had round tables laid out around what looked like a fashion show catwalk. When he turned to face his friends, Luke couldn’t help but notice how pale he looked.

“Are you winding us up?” he asked, jumping to his feet. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to look out or not, but they’d be out there soon enough, rocking out for three songs before they were sold off like slabs of meat. “oh God, you’re not.” Turning to face the rest of his band.

“What? Why are you glaring at me like that?” Reggie’s voice was full of panic.

“Reginald, the average age of the women out there is at least sixty. This means, me and Alex will more than likely have to spend Valentine’s Day evening with a woman old enough to be our mothers while you spend yet another lovely date with your girlfriend who will undoubtedly buy you because she wouldn’t be able to watch you with someone else.”

“But… but…”

“I swear to God, if you say it’s for charity again, I’m going to strangle you with your bass strap.” Luke snapped, snatching up his own instrument, his fingers needing to do something, anything other than wrap themselves around his friend’s throat. Reggie, wisely, didn’t respond as he nervously watched Luke strumming his guitar. The lead singer tried to calm himself down, but it wasn’t helping. “I need to get some air. I’ll be back in time for the set.”

Ignoring the two voices calling out after him, Luke slipped out of the room and out of the fancy hotel and onto the dark London streets where he gulped in a deep lungful of cool air. He knew he was doing a good thing, but he couldn’t help but regret going along with the auction nonsense.

“You okay?” Julie’s voice made him jump. Turning around, he couldn’t help but notice her gorgeous cocktail dress that clung to her curves in all the right ways. Her long, curly hair had been expertly style into some sort of updo that exposed her slender neck, and Luke felt his mouth go dry at the sight. “Luke?”

“Sorry, yeah. I’m good. Just freaking out a little bit.”

“The auction still getting to you?” He’d ranted to her almost daily about the whole thing, so it didn’t surprise him that she knew what he was talking about.

“Yeah. The music part is cool. But being out there paraded just gives me the willies.”

“I’ve honestly never seen you this nervous about being the centre of attention.” Julie laughed slightly, quickly correcting herself when Luke scowled at her. “Sorry, I shouldn’t laugh, but Luke. Be honest, you _thrive_ off attention. Why is this so different?”

“At gigs, I can flirt from the stage, then after I go home alone and don’t have to worry about it. This time, I have to spend time with someone who _buys_ me.”

“It must be so hard knowing that, for once, your flirting will have consequences you have to follow through on. Maybe you’ll get lucky and get a sprightly grandma who only wants you for your pert arse and muscly arms.” She teased.

“You think I have a pert arse?”

“Not the point, Patterson.”

“Kinda is.”

“Get yourself, and pert arse, back inside. Rock out, then give some women the thrill they’re looking for tonight.” Turning her back on him, she headed back to the side door, Luke’s eyes naturally drawn to her backside. “Eyes up front, Patterson.” She called out as she slid inside the building.

Feeling better about things, Luke took another deep breath and went inside himself.

:: ::

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the third annual benefit for this amazing charity. Later on is our bachelor auction which I can promise will be fantastic. We have some of London’s most eligible bachelors waiting in the wings for you to bid on. But first, three of those same bachelors are going to perform som music and whet your whistles.” Flynn stood centre stage under a single spotlight. Luke could see the pride on Reggie’s face as he watched his girlfriend. Luke was proud of her too, but it was clear he wasn’t going to show her exactly how much later on… “And, with no further introductions needed, Sunset Curve.”

The three of them bounded out onto the stage where their instruments were waiting. Without any preamble, they started straight off into _Get Lost._ Within minutes, the entire crowd were up on their feet, gathering at the front of the stage, dancing. Luke was impressed as the majority of them were clearly too old to be rocking out so hard, but he couldn’t help but grin.

The moment he made eye contact with a woman who was old enough to be his mum’s mum who winked at him whilst licking at her lips, he realised he’d made a huge mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come find me on Tumblr. [vicesvsvirtuesfanfic](https://vicesvsvirtuesfanfic.tumblr.com/)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Actuion - Part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hit a bit of a hump with this chapter, but I *think* I did ok with it. Anyway, here it is.
> 
> The Auction Part One - I was originally going to do the entire auction in one chapter, but I decided to split it to keep y'all on your toes. I'm hoping to get the next chapter written pretty quickly so you're not waiting for too long.
> 
> I honestly hope you enjoy it.

As the final bars of _Now or Never,_ the third song of their set reverberated around the room, the three members of Sunset Curve ran off the stage to get changed into their tuxedos.

“Luke, I think I know who’s winning the pleasure of your company tonight. That one woman couldn’t keep her eyes off you.” Alex cackled as Luke glared at him. He had never felt more uncomfortable on stage as he had that night.

“Not gonna happen.” Luke practically growled at Alex as he pulled his cut off shirt over his head and angrily shoved his arms into a stiff white dress shirt.

“Why can’t you just go with the flow of the evening? Just have a bit of fun with it?” Alex asked, getting changed into his own tuxedo. “It’s not like you have to date or even marry the person who has the winning bid. It’s all for charity and that’s the most important thing.”

“So, my feelings don’t count?”

“Of course they do, but can’t you just push them to one side for one evening?” Alex looked him in the eye, his voice soft. It made Luke feel like an arsehole, even if it didn’t calm him down. He also noticed Reggie kept quiet.

“I need some air.” Still wearing his jeans and doing up the buttons on his dress shirt, Luke left the room and made his way back outside. He knew he was overreacting; he knew he was acting like a spoiled prick, but he couldn’t seem to control himself. Eventually, he felt calm enough to go back inside and finish getting changed.

As he entered the building, he saw Julie and Flynn huddled in a corner, chatting. As he watched the way Julie’s dress hug her curves, he had an idea.

“Hey, sorry to interrupt ladies, but can I have a quick word with Julie?”

“Luke, why aren’t you ready yet? We’re starting in five minutes.” Flynn glared at him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be ready on time.” He flashed a grin at Reggie’s girlfriend, but it didn’t stop her glaring at him. “Uh… two minutes, I promise.” With a huff, Flynn waved at him in a ‘hurry up’ fashion and turned away to speak to one of the tech guys.

“Is this an excuse for me to accidently compliment you again?” Julie asked as he led her away from Flynn.

“As if I need an excuse. I know you think I’m pretty.” Julie raised an eyebrow at him. “You told me once when you were drunk. That comment lives rent free in my mind, but no. I don’t need validation right now. I kinda need a favour.”

“How much is it gonna cost me?”

“Nothing, I promise.” Luke pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He’d finally stopped wearing it attached to a chain a couple years before after nearly being dragged to his death after it got caught on an escalator in a shopping centre. He withdrew his debit card and held it out. “There’s about four hundred in my account. Use it and bid on me, please?”

“Why on Earth would I want to bid on you?” she snorted, clearly trying to hold back a laugh. “I might have my eye on one of the other…lots.” Luke didn’t miss her wince at the word ‘lots’.

“Like who?” he didn’t even bother trying to hide the derision from his voice.

“Well, there’s a pretty cute fireman coming up.”

“Julie, please. Do this for me, I’ll owe you big time.”

“And what, exactly, do I get out of this arrangement?”

“What could be better than spending an evening with yours truly?”

“Spending an evening with a hot fireman?” Luke narrowed his eyes at Julie, making her laugh.

“Julie, please. There’s no one else I can ask.”

“Why not just play the game as it’s supposed to be played and leave the winning bid up to fate?”

“Because, the women out there scare the life out of me. You’re trustworthy and won’t try to take advantage of me.” Julie rolled her eyes, but took the offered debit card.

“Patterson, you owe me a lifetime of favours for this.”

Luke placed a rushed kiss on her cheek, unsure how to react to how that contact made him feel.

“I’ll pay up, I promise. Even though this night is going to cost me a damn fortune already.” As he spoke, Luke spotted Flynn glaring at him again. “Oops, boss lady’s pissed. I better finish getting changed. Thanks again Jules.” With a wide grin at her, he ran away backstage before Flynn could give him more shit for not being ready on time.

“Well, you look like you’re in a better mood.” Alex commented as he fiddled with his baby pink bowtie.

“I am. Sorry about earlier.” Without explaining, Luke pulled his tuxedo on, making sure everything was neat and tidy, knowing Flynn wouldn’t ever let him on stage if it weren’t. The royal blue bowtie caused him a few problems, but with Alex’s help, he was ready as they head Flynn’s voice from the stage.

“Who’s ready to bid on some delicious man candy?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you hate it, come and shout at me over on Tumblr [vicesvsvirtuesfanfic](https://vicesvsvirtuesfanfic.tumblr.com/)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Auction - Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a bit of a while since I update. I have no excuse other than I completely lost all motivation, for pretty much everything, but here's an update. I hope you like it.
> 
> Don't forget, you can come and shout at me on Tumblr if you hate it. [vicesvsvirtuesfanfic](https://vicesvsvirtuesfanfic.tumblr.com/)

Reggie was up first. Luke watched from behind the curtain, strutting up and down the catwalk, grinning at the women in the audience. Flynn was laughing as the bids rolled in, eventually topping out at £250. Surprisingly, the winning bid wasn’t from Flynn, but from a woman at the back of the room. Luke had been shocked, but admired Flynn’s restraint.

When it was Alex’s turn, he shuffled along the catwalk, looking awkward, which endeared him even more to the older ladies in the audience. When the winning bid of £280 was announced, a tiny woman with jet black hair actually whooped and gave her friend a high five.

“My God, that is the scariest thing I have ever done.” Alex groaned as he flopped into a chair, untying his bowtie and flinging it across the room. “Luke, you’re the last, they’re gonna go nuts, mate.”

“I can cope.” Sounding more confident that he really felt, Luke made his way out of the room and backstage where he could hear Flynn hyping him up.

“You all saw him earlier, fronting Sunset Curve. With arms that are made for protecting you and the voice of a rock god, give it up for our final bachelor, Luke.” Taking a deep breath, Luke stepped out onto the stage again. It was completely different this time, people were seated and there wasn’t the same atmosphere as when they performed. Rather than crowded around the stage, dancing, everyone was seated around the numerous tables that filled the room while wait staff moved around effortlessly depositing drinks and clearing away plates from the dinner.

With a smirk, Luke walked along the catwalk as Flynn started the bidding off at fifty pounds – that paltry amount made him turn his head and glare at her, offended at such a low amount. Flynn merely winked at him as voices filled the room, the price going higher and higher. As he reached the end of the runway, he looked at the table where Julie was sitting, sipping at her drink calmly. She hadn’t made a bid yet, and he could see his bank card sitting on the table in front of her.

She looked up at him, an attempt at an innocent look on her face while he narrowed his eyes at her.

“Two-hundred and fifty to the lovely lady here at the front. Have we got two seventy-five?” Luke turned away from Julie in horror and looked back to the stage where the woman who had winked at him was waving her numbered paddle. The moment they made eye contact, she grinned at him. In a panic, he turned back to Julie who rolled her eyes and raised her own paddle.

“Three hundred.”

Relief flowed through Luke’s body as he walked back to where Flynn was laughing as the older woman once again outbid Julie. By the time he stood next to Flynn, Julie had the winning bid of £375 and he reached over and grabbed the microphone out of Flynn’s hand.

“Sold, to the lovely lady in purple.” As he handed the mic back, Flynn glared at him, but nodded her head.

“Ladies, and gentlemen, thus concludes our charity auction. If you’ve placed a winning bid, please head over to see my assistant Willie at the side of the stage to pay up.”

As Flynn continued talking, thank people for their time and money, Luke bounded off stage where Alex and Reggie were waiting for him.

“Flynn is going to slaughter you for that. She could have easily driven that woman up to near a grand, mate.” Reggie told Luke as the singer pulled his bowtie and jacket off and undoing the first few buttons on his dress shirt.

“It’s better to ask forgiveness that for permission.”

“Tell that to Flynn as she extracts your balls to make them into earrings.”

“I’m not scared of Flynn.” Luke sounded confident, but the flicker of his eyes in the direction of the door told Reggie and Alex different and made them both snigger.

“So, we couldn’t see. Who won a date with the illustrious Luke Patterson?” Alex asked. Luke turned to face him, a smug look on his face.

“Julie.”

“Julie? As in Julie Molina? Our neighbour?” Alex stared at him.

“Yep.” Luke popped the p at the end of the word, feeling extremely proud of himself.

“How the fuck did you manage that?”

“I asked her.” Well, begged, but there was no way he was going to admit that out loud.

“Maybe you two can finally…” Reggie trailed off as Flynn entered the room.

“Luke, can I have a word?” She asked, no hint of a smile on her face or in her voice.

_Oh, shit._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this tracks from the previous chapter. I struggled a little writing this without it becoming too sappy in places. 
> 
> If you hate it, come and yell at me in my Tumblr inbox.   
> [vicesvsvirtuesfanfic](https://vicesvsvirtuesfanfic.tumblr.com/)

Luke followed Flynn out of the room, feeling as if he was back at school and had been sent to the headmaster’s office. When she came to a standstill, she spun around and fixed him with a glare that burned into his face.

“What the ever-loving fuck did you think you were doing out there?” she didn’t shout or raise her voice, but she didn’t need to. Flynn had this way about her that kept him and the others – Reggie mainly – in line when needed. No wonder she was so good at her job.

“I… er… I mean…”

“Save it. I know exactly what you were doing, and while I don’t blame you, it doesn’t mean I’m happy about it. You were the last bachelor on purpose. I knew, after seeing you perform, all those thirsty old biddies would be clamouring for a piece of yo-” Luke cut her off.

“And _that_ is exactly why I did what I did. I didn’t want women old enough to be my Nana fighting over me. I respect this is for charity and I support that entirely, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable spending an evening with someone three times my age. I’m sorry if I lost you some money, but I needed to do it, for me.” He sucked in a deep breath. “Flynn, I adore you, you know this, and I will always try and help when I can, but I have limits. This was one of them.”

Flynn didn’t say anything for a few moments, leaving Luke to wonder if she was really going to lose her shit at him. He’d been honest when he said he loved her, he really did. She was like a sister to him, and he would walk to the ends of the Earth for her and his other friends, but he needed her to understand where he was coming from.

“Luke, I get it. I really do. I just wish you’d told me how you were feeling before the auction started, I could have helped rather than have you do what you did. Luckily, my boss thought it was funny rather than making me look incompetent, so you have a pass this time. But next time, if there is a next time, speak to me first. ‘Kay?” Hearing that he could have potentially got her in trouble at work made him realise how, as usual, he’d gone charging in. He pulled her in for a tight hug.

“Promise.” He murmured into her hair. As she pulled away, she let out a chuckle. “What?”

“You and Julie, on a date. I wish I could be a fly on the wall for that one.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” rather than answer him, she walked away from him, back into the room where Reggie and Alex were waiting. “Flynn! What does that mean?” He shouted after her but got no response.

:: ::

Once he and the guys had changed back into their own clothes, Julie had joined their group and the five made their way back to Alex and Luke’s apartment where they carried on drinking. Julie had popped into her own place and changed out of her cocktail dress and into some sweats and over-sized hoodie and Luke couldn’t help but think she looked even better. Her hair was scraped back by a hair tie and her face was clean of the make-up she’d been wearing. A cough from behind him distracted him from his thought and when he turned, Alex was watching him was a small smile on his face.

“Who wants a drink?” He stuttered out, suddenly feeling somewhat uncertain. As voices called out, he made his way into the kitchen where he and Alex kept a constantly fully stocked alcohol stash. He set about mixing everyone’s drinks, knowing them by heart after so long. Ice, mixers, and even sliced fruit went into glasses of spirits.

“Why are you hiding?” Alex’s voice made him jump, sloshing vodka over his own hand. With a scowl on his face, he turned his head to glare at Alex as he licked the wasted booze off his skin.

“What are you babbling on about?”

“You. Hiding. As usual.”

“As usual? What?” Luke busied himself with the drinks once more as Alex let out a sigh.

“Why are you still lying to yourself?” A quick glance out of the corner of his eye, Luke could see Alex leaning up against the counter behind Luke.

“And what do you think I’m lying to myself about?” Bending, he retrieved a tray one of them had somehow ‘borrowed’ from a pub years ago, placed it on the worktop, and began to place the full glasses on them. “Please, do enlighten me.”

“You know what I’m talking about Luke. You’ve had a hard on for Julie for years, but because you’re friends, neither of you have acted on the attraction.” Luke snorted as he picked up the tray. He turned to leave the kitchen, but Alex blocked his way.

“Alex, look. Yeah, in the beginning I was attracted to Julie, but we’re just friends now. Nothing more.”

“So, why haven’t you dated? Why hasn’t she? You two have been dancing around one another for ten years, waiting for the other to make the first move. Quite frankly, it’s been exhausting to watch at times if I’m honest with you.”

“I’ve dated.” Luke protested.

“Sure, a couple of first dates here and there, nothing serious. You may not have realised it, but you’ve clearly been waiting for Julie.”

“You’re imagining things. Me and Julie are just friends.”

Finally, Luke was able to pass Alex and took the drinks into the lounge.

“What took you so long?” Flynn asked as she and Reggie snuggled on the armchair.

“Alex was distracting me with some nonsense.” He rolled his eyes as the conversation around him picked up.

As the evening wore on, he found himself watching Julie more and more, thinking about what Alex had said to him in the kitchen. If he thought about it, the no dating thing was weird, maybe. Lord knows his mother despaired about it regularly, but it wasn’t because of Julie and any latent feeling Alex seemed to think he had for her. He was just too busy to go through the whole ‘getting to know someone’ thing.

As he watched her laughing at something Reggie said, Julie looked over at him. When their eyes connected, Luke felt… something.

_Oh._


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel I need to apologise for this chapter as it descended into very British banter. But, I had so much fun writing it.
> 
> I've written up to chapter 10 on this, and I think there may not be more than 12 chapters - I mean, they're all very short - but I'm not completely sure yet.
> 
> If you want to shout at me, head over to Tumblr to do it. [vicesvsvirtuesfanfic](https://vicesvsvirtuesfanfic.tumblr.com/)

“Are you avoiding me?” Julie asked him as he walked along the hallway to his door. It had been empty, and the moment he passed her door, she’d flung it open and accosted him.

“Jesus Christ, woman. Were you watching out for me through the peephole or something? I mean, I get it, you don’t want to miss this,” he waved his hands to indicate himself, “but all you need to do is ask. No need to be sneaky about it.”

“You’re such an irritating prick.”

“I’m sure I have a cream for that somewhere you can borrow.” Luke grinned as he watched Julie’s face screw up as she took in what he said.

“You’re gross.”

“Oh, you love me. Admit it.” The words were out of his mouth before he realised what he’d said, Alex’s voice from the night after the auction filtering through his mind.

“I love to hate you, more like. Now, stop acting like a child for a minute if it’s possible.”

“Ms. Julie Molina. I apologise for my errant behaviour, please forgive me.”

Julie rolled her eyes and let out a small scream of what sounded like frustration.

“You really are incorrigible. Do you know that?”

“It’s been mentioned on occasion. Now, you wanted me?” he couldn’t help but grin when Julie rolled her eyes. “Wanna come in? Be a bit more comfortable than standing out here.”

“Sure.” Julie ducked inside for a moment, before re-emerging with her keys and her phone. She pulled the door closed with a click behind her as Luke unlocked his own and led the two of them inside. Luke hung his bag and jacket up on one of the hooks just inside and motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen where he set about making them both a hot drink.

“So, what can I do you for?”

“I’ve been thinking about this date we’re supposed to have this weekend.”

“Oh, really. And what exactly have you been thinking about?”

“I swear to God, I’m going to slap you in a moment. Can you ever not be an annoying twat when we have a conversation?”

Luke gasped, and playfully pressed a hand to his chest over his heart.

“You wound me. Hear the offence I have taken.” Chuckling at Julie rolling her eyes once more, he finished making the drinks and handed her a steaming cup. “Okay, I’m listening. The date. Yes.”

“Well, because you pretty much – wait, no. You _did_ beg me to bid on you, I don’t feel it would be right for me to pay out for a dinner in some cheesy restaurant.”

“Julie Molina, are you saying you don’t want to be seen out in public with me?”

“At this moment in time, it’s _exactly_ what I’m saying, even if it wasn’t when this conversation started.” Turning her back to him, Julie left the kitchen and went to sit down in the lounge. When Luke followed her in, he couldn’t help but notice she sat in the chair rather than on the sofa where she would normally.

“I’m sorry. I’ll behave.” He promised as he stretched, the knot in his shoulder popping slightly, making him moan in a perverse pleasure. When he turned to look back at Julie, he couldn’t help but notice there was a flush of pink to her cheeks. “What did you want to discuss about the date?” he ignored the fact she’s addressed his begging her to bid on him.

“There’s three days until Valentine’s day, and one of the stipulations Flynn put into the buyer’s ‘contract’ as it were.”

“Wait, you get a contract? Why weren’t we told this? I wouldn’t have put this on you if I’d known.” All of a sudden, he felt bad. He also wondered why Reggie hadn’t mentioned it; if anyone would have known about it, it would have been him.

“It’s not exactly a contract, but when everyone paid up, they agreed to a few conditions to keep everyone safe. The date _has_ to happen on Valentine’s day, it has to be in a public place, and there has to be at least one post on social media, tagging the venue so that if anything happens, there’s a record of where the couple were. I mean, the majority of these ‘couples’ going out are complete strangers, and Flynn’s trying to keep everyone as safe as she can without physically being there.”

“I’m impressed, and feel a little guilty I never even considered it I guess.”

“But…”

“There’s always a ‘but’ isn’t there?”

“We’re not strangers. We’ve known one another for at least ten years, and I know I’m safe with you, even if you do irritate the hell out of me on occasion.”

“I think there’s a compliment in there, somewhere.” Luke grinned at her.

“Take it as you will, but I’ve told Flynn we won’t be going out.”

“Why not? I mean, I get you didn’t want to bid on me, but to try and get out of going on a date with me-” Julie interrupted him, a slightly frustrated tone to her voice that Luke was very familiar with.

“I’m not trying to get out of going on a date with you, I’m just telling you that we don’t need the safety measures the others do. So, I was _trying,_ before you got your arse in your hands, to suggest that we make it a lot more informal.”

“Arse in my hands?” Luke stuttered. “I did not.” He let out a harsh puff of breath, making her laugh.

“Oh please.”

“Whatever. Anyway, informal? What did you have in mind?”

“What would you say to me cooking for us at my place?”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I've been beavering away at things and updating completely slipped my mind, so here's an update.  
> I hope you like it!

After Julie left, giving him time to stew over her proposition, Luke spent the most of his evening plucking at the strings of his guitar. He hadn’t even realised how long he’d been sat on the sofa, the acoustic resting on his knee until Alex let himself in after finishing a late shift.

“What are you doing up so late?” Alex asks, making sure the door’s locked behind him.

“Lost track of time.”

“What you working on?”

“Nothing in particular, just thinking.”

“About?” there was a hesitancy to Alex’s voice, and Luke wondered if he really wanted to hear about it.

“Ah, it’s nothing. How was work?”

“Dead. I was bored to shit, but the woman who ‘won me’ – God, that’s still freaky to say – messaged me with our reservation.”

“You sound petrified, mate.”

“Nah, just… y’know?”

“Yeah, I get it. You’ll be okay. If you need to, text me and I’ll be straight there to rescue you, you know that.” Luke looked at Alex, seeing a hint of relief in his blue eyes. He loved the man like a brother and always made sure he knew he’d do anything for him.

“Thanks, mate. Anyway, I’m fucking shattered, so I’m going to bed.” Alex stood up, then turned back to look at Luke. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked softly.

“Yeah, I’m good. I’ll be turning in myself soon.”

“Okay.”

Luke stayed where he was, listening to Alex moving around his room, getting ready for bed. Once everything fell silent around him once more, he picked up his phone and sent a text to Julie.

_A homecooked meal sounds great. See you on V day._

A funny feeling went through him as he put his phone down and packed his guitar away. One he couldn’t describe, which was a weird thing for him to admit to himself. As he turned the lights off and checked the windows, his phone chimed, loud in the silence around him.

_Make yourself pretty, Patterson._

:: ::

Alex was pacing around the lounge when Luke emerged from his bedroom, ready for his ‘date’ with Julie.

“What’s up, mate?” he asked, making Alex jump. Luke noticed he was wearing a suit jacket over a nice shirt and his best jeans.

“Why did I agree to this?”

“We _all_ agreed to this… well, I didn’t exactly. You and Reggie talked me into it.”

“Well, I regret it now. Can I cancel and curl up on the sofa in my PJs watching crap TV?”

“Alex. Stop overthinking things. All you need to do is go for dinner, smile for a couple of Instagram photos, then you can come home and do all that.” His friend stopped pacing and looked at him as he chewed at the corner of his lower lip. “I know this is a big deal for you, and I promise that if you need me, I’ll be there in an instant, but you need to take a leap of faith. Maybe you’ll meet the man of your dreams at the restaurant she’s taking you to.”

Alex scoffed as he resumed his pacing. Like walked right up to him, took hold of his friend by his shoulders and gently squeezed. Usually, Alex had a good handle on his nerves and anxiety – thanks to months of speaking with a therapist – but tonight was clearly disrupting his ability to employ the grounding techniques he’d been taught.

“I’m okay, I’m just… I know I need to do this. I made a promise to Flynn, and Mrs. Davies. I know I’ll be safe, I know I’ll be home within a couple of hours. I just need a moment to freak out before I leave.” He checked his watch. “In fifteen minutes.”

“Here, come and sit down.” Luke tugged Alex’s arm and led him over to the sofa. The two of them fell onto it, Alex immediately sitting up ramrod straight as his fingers fiddled with the buttons on his jacket. “Look at me.” Alex turned his blues onto Luke’s face. “I meant what I said. If you need me, I’ll be right there. All you need to do is text me and I’ll drive over and pick you up. You know I’ll never leave you in a situation you can’t handle.”

When their eyes met, Luke noticed Alex trying to blink away a sheen of tears and looked away to give him a semblance of privacy. Alex had always been the most sensitive of their friendship group and hated the idea of anyone thinking he was weak – which he was far from.

“Thanks.” His voice was soft, but Luke heard him clearly. Standing up, Alex took a deep breath. “Right, I’m good.” Something must have passed across Luke’s face because Alex put his hand up. “I promise, I’m okay. I’m going to get going, and I’m going to have a good night.”

“That’s my boy.” Grinning, Luke stood next to his best friend and placed his hand on his shoulder again. Alex shrugged him off with a laugh, stepped back, and ran his eyes up and down Luke’s body.

“So, is _that_ what you’re wearing for your date with Julie?”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually finished writing this story in it's entirety today. There will be 13 chapters in total, and I really hope you like the direction it takes.

After Alex left, Luke went back into his bedroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He couldn’t see what was wrong with his black jeans – yeah, they were a bit faded, but they were clean – and his t-shirt. Looking down at his feet, he saw his vans were scuffed to hell and began to panic. Alex was right, he looked like he did every other day. He was under orders to make himself ‘look pretty’, and he had no idea what that meant.

Checking the time on his phone, he saw he still had half an hour before he needed to be at Julie’s place so he unlocked his phone and dialled Flynn’s number.

“Shouldn’t you be on a date, right now?” she asked, not bothering to answer his call with a greeting.

“I’m leaving soon, I just need some advice.” Flynn laughed and he swore he heard her mutter something that sounded like ‘of course you do’.

“Wear a proper shirt and shoes, and take flowers or a bottle of wine. You’re welcome.” Luke stared at the phone. She’d hung up on him. He threw his phone on the bed, pulled his t-shirt off as he toed his vans off before rummaging through his wardrobe. Luke couldn’t remember the last time he wore a proper shirt before the night of the auction. Screwed up at the back, he found a black shirt. He gave it a sniff and was satisfied it wasn’t too musty, but it was creased to hell. With a groan, he went into the kitchen to find the iron he wasn’t sure had ever been used since his parents had given it to him when he and Alex moved into the flat.

Mangling his way through smoothing out the creases, he pulled the shirt on and did it up before going in search of shoes that weren’t trainers or combat boots. Eventually, he found the shoes he’d last worn to a family funeral almost six years before. They pinched his toes slightly, but he reasoned that they’d be sat down for most of the evening so it wouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Finally, he found a bottle of wine someone had brought round for a party, wiped the dust off it, and let himself out of the flat. Pausing outside Julie’s front door, he was overcome by a sudden wave of nerves.

“Stop acting like a kid on his first date. It’s only dinner with Julie.” He scolded himself under his breath as he lifted his hand to knock on the door. Plastering a smile on his face he could hear Julie approaching on the other side. He geared himself to greet her as she opened the door, but when he saw her, it was like the air had been squeezed from his lungs.

:: ::

“Didn’t I bring this to your housewarming party?” Julie frowned slightly at the bottle Luke had handed over.

“Did you?” he asked innocently, mentally punching himself in the face for not remembering.

“I don’t know. It looks familiar, but it’s been a while and I’ve had a drink since then.” When she smiled widely at him, Luke felt his heart leap in his chest. He needed to get a grip on himself – and not the kind he’d prefer.

“Something smells great in here.” He changed the subject as he followed her to the kitchen that was almost identical to his own. The main difference was that Julie actually used her to cook rather than just dish up takeaway.

“Thanks. It’s nothing special, just a pasta dish.”

“Better than anything I could conjure up.”

An awkward silence descended over them as Julie checked on the food. Luke hovered in the doorway of the kitchen, not sure whether he was supposed to offer to help.

“Thanks.”

“Anything I can do?” he finally asked, feeling his mother would be proud of him, for his manners at least.

“You could open the bottle of white in the fridge while the red breathes.” She handed him a corkscrew while she stirred something on the stove. He made short work of the cork and pulled some glasses from the cupboard he knew they were kept in and poured two, large, glasses. Julie thanked him when he handed her one of them and leaned back against the work surface.

The silence this time wasn’t as uncomfortable as before, but Luke still felt as if things were still weird between then, despite them having been friends for ten years.

“This shouldn’t feel so weird, should it?” Julie blurted out suddenly, making Luke laugh as he wondered if she was able to read his mind.

“Are you… a witch? I was _just_ thinking that.” Julie cackled, rolling her eyes at his words.

“Luke, you do realise that you have the most readable face in the world, don’t you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Panic flooded through him and he took a sip of his wine to hide his shock.

“Every time you have a thought, you may as well have a neon sign behind your head telling everyone exactly what it is.” Her words caused a flash of white fear to course through his body.

“R-really?”

“This is making you really uncomfortable, isn’t it?” she laughed. Luke could only assume there was a look of pure panic on his face, because it was exactly how he was feeling. “Come on, there’s still another half an hour of cooking time left.” She led the way out of the kitchen and into the lounge where she’d set up the small dining table with fancy crockery and candles.

“This is nice.” Luke commenting, relishing in the blush to her cheeks as they sat on the sofa.

“Well, it _is_ a Valentine’s date. I thought it would be better than eating of paper plates and drinking out of plastic cups.”

“Less washing up though.” Laughing, Julie slapped at his arm.

“Such a boy thing to say.”

“What can I say, I like the easy life.”

“There’s easy, then there’s lazy, Luke.”

“Now you’re just flirting, Molina.”

“Idiot.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some more of the date...  
> I hope you like it.  
> Only 3 more chapters to go.

As he sat opposite Julie, eating the most delicious pasta he’d ever tasted, Luke couldn’t help but notice how pretty Julie looked in candlelight. She had her long, curly hair tied up casually, but it showed off her slender neck and her high cheekbones.

“How’s the food?” she asked, her voice suddenly loud against the soft backdrop of music playing at a low volume.

“It’s great. I’ve never had pasta this good before.” It was true. His mum wasn’t the best cook in the world, more likely to call out for a takeaway than prepare a meal from scratch. Luke himself wasn’t a bad cook, he was just a little wary of branching out with recipes, but he was getting better.

“It’s a recipe of my mum’s. She always made it for me and my brother when we were growing up.” The soft smile on her face warmed him just as much as the food and the wine. “It was our comfort food.”

“That’s great. Growing up, our comfort food was a trip to McDonalds.” His words made Julie laugh out loud and Luke never wanted to stop making her do just that.

“Oh, I forgot. We need to post online, prove that this is actually happening.” Julie stood suddenly and rushed into the kitchen. Within a minute, she was back, her phone in her hand. She tapped on the screen a few times before kneeling down next to Luke’s chair and holding it out in front of them. “Say cheese.”

The sound of the camera clicking a few times was distant as all Luke could smell was the hint of peach to Julie’s hair. Mingled with the aroma of her amazing cooking and he was beginning to feel overwhelmed; it was as if his senses were being invaded and he didn’t know how to cope. As Julie stood up and returned to her chair, he could feel… things. Things he wasn’t supposed to feel about his friends, things he was supposed to feel about Julie. She’d been present in his and his friends lives ever since Reggie and Flynn met in that Student Union bar. Julie was part of his circle, and while he’d always found her attractive, had even fantasised about her at times, but all this? All this was new, and he didn’t know if it was because he was attracted to her, or because Alex thought he was.

“You okay?” Julie’s voice jolted him from his thoughts. She was sliding back into her chair opposite him, a soft smile on her face.

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry, zoned out for a minute there. It won’t happen again. You now have my full attention.” He grinned as she waved her phone at him.

“It’s fine. I was posting to Insta anyway. What do you think, do we make a believable couple?” she handed her phone to him and when he looked down at the screen, his breath caught in his throat – something that seemed to happen a lot around Julie Molina lately.

The photo of the two of them was softly lit by the candles, and the two of them seemed to radiate happiness as they leaned into one another, which Luke hadn’t realised he’d done.

“What filter did you use to make us look so cozy?” he asked, handing the phone back.

“No filter needed. That’s how it came out.” She laughed at whatever his face did. “I know, I’m as shocked as you. I usually have to edit my selfies to the hilt, but not this one. I’ll have to force you to be in all of them now.”

“I’m sure I could cope with that.”

:: ::

Once they were finished with dinner, Luke insisted on clearing the table and washing up. His mother would have been very proud, if not slightly infuriated that he never did the same when he lived at home.

“Luke, I have a dishwasher, leave those alone, please.” Julie protested as he washed their plates by hand, his shirt sleeves rolled up as he plunged his hands into the soapy water.

“You put the pans and stuff in there, I’ll do these.” He ignored her and continued what he was doing. He heard her huff behind him before she squeezed past him in the narrow galley style space, the heat from her body warming his entire back.

The pair of them worked as the music from the lounge filtered through, and Luke found himself singing along to a Destiny’s Child track.

“I always forget how good your voice is when you’re not on stage.” Julie commented as he joined in with Beyonce, getting louder as he got more into it.

“I _think_ that’s a compliment,” He laughed as he drained the sink and dried his hands. Julie rolled her eyes at him and started the dishwasher before topping up their drinks. He picked up the glass of wine and followed her into the lounge. The two of them sank onto the sofa.

Slyly checking his watch, he was surprised to find that almost five hours had passed them by without either of them noticing. Usually on dates, he was itching to get away after two, but this was different. Maybe it was because it was Julie and they were comfortable with one another’s company. He also realised he hadn’t had a text from Alex either. The realisation made him sit up straight.

“What’s wrong?” Julie asked him, giving him a strange look.

“I just gotta check my phone. Alex was nervous about his date earlier and I promised him that if he needed me, I’d be there for him, but I haven’t heard anything all evening, and now _I’m_ the one worrying.”

His words made her smile as he stood up to grab his phone from where he’d left it in the kitchen when he’d arrived.

“I love the way you guys look out for one another so much. The lads I knew growing up never seemed to care about one another the way you three do.”

“Well, we’re like family. And family looks out for one another.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

Luke checked his phone, found no missed calls or messages from Alex. He quickly fired off a text to his friend before pocketing his phone and joining Julie back on the sofa.

“No news is good news, right?” he asked as his sipped at his wine.

“Of course. I’m sure if he needs you, he’ll let you know.”

Luke smiled and settled back into the sofa, relishing in the peach aroma of Julie’s hair and she leaned against the back of the couch next to him.

“Thank you.” He spoke barely above a whisper, but the movement of Julie turning her head to look at him told him she’d heard him. He turned to look at her, their faces closer than he could ever remember them being before; so close he could see his own reflection in her dark brown eyes. He struggled to think of something to say, but before he was able to, Julie had moved and her lips were on his,


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry (sort of) about the cliffhanger. But I couldn't leave it there for too long.   
> There's 2 chapters left after this one... I can't believe it's almost over.
> 
> Don't forget, you can come and shout at me on Tumblr: [vicesvsvirtuesfanfic](https://vicesvsvirtuesfanfic.tumblr.com/)

“Oh God, I’m so sorry.” Panic filled Julie’s voice as she pulled away from him. Rather than try to put her at ease with his words, Luke took a gentle hold of her wrist and pulled her back towards him. She was warm and soft as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her deeply.

He heard her moan, deep in her throat and never realised his body could react to a sound in such a way. Shifting slightly, he leaned Julie onto her back and hovered above her, deepening the kiss.

Eventually, he pulled away and sat up, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. As Julie sat up next to him, he heard her sigh and when he turned to look at her, Luke saw her touching her lips that were turned up in a soft smile. In that moment, he realised it wasn’t Alex drawing his attention that had made him return that to his attraction to Julie, it had always been there. He’d simply been too oblivious, too focused on the rest of his life to see what was right in front of his face.

“That was…” he began to say but was interrupted by his phone ringing in his pocket. “Shit, sorry.” Standing up, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, saw Alex’s name flashing on the screen. “Alex? Everything okay?”

“Hey Luke. Yeah, everything’s great. I just wanted to check in and make sure you didn’t worry about me.”

“Not gonna lie, I was getting a bit nervous when I didn’t hear from you, but as long as you had a good evening.”

“I really did, he was the perfect gentleman.”

“He?” Luke turned to Julie, who had a puzzled look on her face that he was sure matched his own. “Care to fill me in?”

“The woman who bid on me did it for her grandson. She’s been trying to find him a date for months apparently, and saw this as the perfect opportunity.” He laughed down the phone, making Luke smile.

“Well, as long as he’s treating you well, I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks. How’s the date with Julie?”

“Still going.”

“Well, get off the phone to me and get back to it.” Without a greeting, Alex ended the call. Laughing, Luke shoved his phone back in his pocket and turned to Julie. Only to find her space on the sofa empty.

“Julie?” he called out walking out of the lounge and into the kitchen where she was emptying the dishwasher. “Hey, you okay?” there was a weird atmosphere in the kitchen and Luke wasn’t sure how to react to it.

“Yeah, I’m good. I just started to feel tired, so wanted to clear up before going to bed.” She straightened up but didn’t turn to look at him.

“Oh, right. I’ll just… er… I’ll get going then.” Luke placed his glass on the worktop and turned leave.

“Luke,” Julie’s voice sounded strained. Temptation to leave without looking back flooded through him, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Spinning on his heel, Luke faced Julie, surprised to see what looked like anguish on her face.

“What’s wrong, Jules?” Luke kept his distance, just in case he’d done something to offend her somehow. “I thought you wanted…” He didn’t know how to say what he wanted to, how to let Julie know how he was feeling after their kiss.

“I did, I do. I just… listening to you on the phone to Alex made me realise we might be better off as friends.” Carefully, Julie approached him, as if she was worried she was going to scare him away. “There’s only one problem with that.” She came to a stop directly in front of him. Not for the first time, Luke was struck by how tiny she was. He wasn’t the biggest guy out there, he knew bigger, but having Julie so close to him made him feel as if he could tackle anything.

“And what might that be, Molina?” as he noticed how husky his voice sounded, Luke fought the urgh to put his hands on her slender waist and draw her close against him. He wanted to feel the warmth of her body as it pressed into his.

“I don’t want to be your friend, I haven’t for a long time now.”

“Should I be hurt by that statement?” he couldn’t help the teasing. The atmosphere between them was as charged as it had been when they had been kissing like teenagers on her sofa. It was like a knee-jerk reaction for him whenever things started to get too serious.

“You’re an ass, have I told you that recently?” a smile played at the corners of her mouth as she responded to his teasing.

“Probably, but I doubt I was paying attention.” That comment earned him a soft thump to the arm. The moment Julie’s hand made contact with him, he captured it in his own, her warm skin tingling against his own.

“Listen closely. You’re. An. Ass.”

“But, I’m a cute ass, right? You have to at least admit that much.”

With a groan, Julie rolled her eyes, unable to stop the smile spreading across her face.

“Luke Patterson, you are insufferable, and I have no idea why I’m so bloody attracted to you.” The moment Julie realised what she’d said, she clamped her mouth shut causing Luke to laugh. “Shut up.”

“Oh no, this is not going away, no matter how much you want it to. You, Julie Molina, admitted to being attracted to me – for a long time I might add – and I am going to make the most of this information.”

“Oh God, me and my big mouth.” Julie muttered to herself, making Luke only laugh a little harder.

“Keep talking, I can listen to this all night.” When Julie finally looked up at him properly, her face was flushed with embarrassment which only made her even prettier in Luke’s eyes. “Unless you can think of something better to do with your mouth.”

At his words, Julie pushed herself up onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.

“Shut up.” She murmured as Luke wound his arms around her waist and deepening the kiss.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here it is. The final chapter and it's the morning after the date.  
> I hope it's not an anti climax for you all, especially as it's bee a while since I last update.  
> I really hope you enjoy it, but if you don't, make sure you head over to Tumblr to shout at me.  
> [vicesvsvirtuesfanfic](https://vicesvsvirtuesfanfic.tumblr.com/)

_Chapter Thirteen:_

Luke woke up feeling disorientated. As he sat up in bed, the room around him clearly not his own, and light shining through light curtains that were the complete opposite to his black-out blinds.

Distantly, he could hear someone singing as they banged around in what he assumed was the kitchen. Slowly, as his brain finally caught up with his body, he recognised Julie’s voice. Memories of their date flashed through his mind as he remembered their first kiss and Julie admitting she wanted to be more than friends. After that moment, he’d carried her into the bedroom where the two of them became much more.

With a grin on his face he climbed out of bed, located his boxers, and quietly made his way into the kitchen where Julie was dancing as she prepared a pot of coffee. Leaning against the doorframe, Luke watched her for a few minutes before making his presence known with a cough. Her long, curly hair was tied up, exposing the slender neck he’d kissed his way across the night before, and he wanted to do it again.

“Jesus, you scared the life out of me.” Julie pressed a hand to her chest as she glared at him, a smile on her face, as she looked his near nakedness up and down. Chuckling, Luke walked towards her. He didn’t say a word as he trapped her against the edge of the worktop, placing his arms either side of her body. It was then he noticed she was wearing the shirt he’d worn to dinner the evening before.

“I like seeing you wearing my clothes.” He practically growled as he looked down at her.

“I quite like wearing them.”

Unable to stop himself, Luke bent his head to capture her lips in a soft kiss. Her arms snaked themselves around his neck and the kiss soon deepened into something that soon had Luke breathless.

“Well, good morning.” He said once they broke apart. Before Julie could respond, the sound of the front door opening made them jump.

“Morning, Jules. Thought I’d pop by for a breakdown of how well the date went last night.” Flynn’s voice floated through the flat as they heard her footsteps approaching the kitchen. “Oh… well, that answers that question.” Without saying anything further, she pulled her phone out of her coat pocket, tapped at the screen before holding it to her ear. “You owe me fifty quid.” Was all she said whenever who she’d called answered before ending the call.

“Good morning, Flynn.” Julie extracted herself from Luke’s hold and busied herself with the coffee pot. Luke simply moved out of the way, leaning against the worktop, watching her.

“I would say so.” Flynn raised an eyebrow at Luke standing around in just his underwear. He merely raised an eyebrow back, not wanting to be the first to look away.

“Morning.” Was all Luke said as he accepted a mug of steaming coffee from Julie.

Rather than answer, Flynn left the kitchen and the two of them heard her walk into the lounge.

“I guess I better go and get some clothes on.” Julie whispered as she pressed another kiss on his lips before she too left the kitchen. Chuckling again, Luke sipped at his coffee.

He’d almost finished his drink when he heard Julie join her best friend. Placing his cup next to the sink, he too went into Julie’s bedroom to get dressed. He pulled his jeans on, but there was no sign of his shirt. Remaining topless, he joined the two women in the lounge, where Julie had paired his shirt with some skin-tight jeans. She’s rolled the sleeves up and had left a few button undone, showing off a hint of her cleavage.

Julie looked up at him when he entered, a small smile on her face.

“I’m working in a couple of hours, so I guess I leave you ladies to talk about me.” He bet down to place a kiss on Julie’s cheek, whispering that he’d text her later, before leaving the flat and walking along the hallway to his own.

When he let himself in, he wasn’t surprised to find Alex sitting on their own couch, sipping at a cup of tea.

“Well, the walk of shame. And topless to boot.”

“Fuck off.” Luke couldn’t even manage to add any venom to his words. He was too busy grinning at his best friend.

“I’m guessing the date went well.”

“I’d say so.”

“Did you two manage to talk much this morning, or were you too busy hightailing it back home? Also, _why_ are you topless?”

“No, Flynn interrupted us, and it looks like I’ve lost my shirt to Julie.” Luke shrugged. “Looks better on her anyway.” He flopped onto the sofa next to Alex and let out a sigh as he rest against the back and closed his eyes.

“You look far too smug, it’s making me feel sick. But, can I say ‘I told you so’?”

“Alex, mate. You can say what the hell you want. I’m going for a shower to get ready for work.” Less than two minutes after sitting down, Luke stood back up and made his way through the flat and into his bedroom.

:: ::

Luke slung his guitar across his back before letting himself out of the flat. It had been two hours since he’d left Julie’s place, and he was missing her like crazy. The realisation shocked him a little.

As he passed her front door, he was tempted to knock on it, but he could hear laughter coming from inside and knew Flynn was still there. Instead, as he made his way to take the stairs down to the main entrance, he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

 _How about a second date? One I don’t need to beg you to take me on this time?_ He typed out before stowing his guitar on the back seat of his car. As he climbed into the driver’s seat, his phone chimed with a text.

_But I like it when you beg._


End file.
